Flute tunes from Co. Sligo

 Flute tunes from Co. Sligo 30 jigs and reels as recorded on CD Preface Here are some tunes which I transcribed while trying to learn the Irish flute. The versions are very far indeed from being accurate transcriptions, i.e. most ornamentation is, as usual, not included. Nevertheless these versions are more detailed than most of the sheet music for tunes in circulation. For this reason, and because it makes no sense to lock the transcriptions away, I have decided to make them accessible online. Perhaps they will be of interest for someone. I only ask the reader to keep in mind that I am neither a professional musician nor a learned musicologist. In the working process, I used a computer programme called Amazing Slow Downer to reduce the speed, wrote down what I thought I heard and checked by playing back the sheet music. Feel free to correct any mistakes you discover and to add any details which didn't go into the notation. If you wish to contact the author, please write an e-­‐mail to [email protected]. Those who are used to playing Irish traditional music need not read further. But for people not accustomed to the music I have written a few words as an introduction. Most of the information is based on some very recommendable books and articles on the subject, some is based on the three M.A. thesises of Briese, Nadig and Schwödiauer and a minor part is based on my own experience as a long-­‐time amateur of Irish traditional music. Please see the index of literature for details. This collection is intended to be freely distributable. Over the years, many kind people as well as many free online sources have been an invaluable help for me. I like the thought that this little collection may be of help for somebody too, even if only a tiny little bit. Vorwort Hier sind ein paar Tunes, die ich bei meinem Versuch, Flute zu lernen, übungshalber von CDs rausgehört habe. Weil die Tunes etwas genauer aufgeschrieben sind als in den üblichen Noten-­‐
Versionen (und bevor sie sinnlos in der Schublade verstauben), stelle ich sie online; vielleicht sind sie für den einen oder die andere von Interesse. Natürlich kann jeder etwaige Fehler nach Belieben korrigieren und die Feinheiten, die nicht in den Noten stehen, ergänzen. Wer sich mit irischer Musik auskennt, wird vorweg nichts weiter zu lesen brauchen. Für den Fall, dass sich jemand, für den die irische traditionelle Musik Neuland ist, diese Noten anschaut, habe ich noch einen kurzen Einstieg geschrieben. Die meisten Informationen darin basieren auf einigen sehr empfehlenswerten Büchern zum Thema. Diese Sammlung ist für die kostenlose Verbreitung gedacht. Über die Jahre haben mir viele Musiker und ein paar gute Online-­‐Quellen auf meinem Weg sehr weitergeholfen. Vielleicht hilft diese kleine Sammlung ja auch jemandem auf dem Weg mit der Flute ein kleines bisschen weiter. Have fun – and happy tooting! Hamburg, Germany, 2014 Moritz Wulf Lange 2 Special thanks to The guy who made the mysterious tape accessible online The initiator of http://ceolalainn.blogspot.de/ The folks who created museScore (musescore.com): Thomas Bonte (Belgium), Nicolas Froment (France) and Werner Schweer (Germany). Without this wonderful programme, writing these pages would not have been possible Flute player and maker Terry McGee for sharing so much first rate information on his website (mcgee-­‐flutes.com) All the contributors at thesession.org Last not least: Christ Cracknell for revising my English version in order to make the text readable. Thanks, Chris! 3 Inhalt /content Index of tunes Verzeichnis der Tunes ...................................................... p. 5 The collection Die Sammlung .................................................................... p. 6 I. A brief introduction to Irish traditional music Kurzer Überblick zur irischen traditionellen Musik Irish music in general .................................................. Irische Musik im Allgemeinen ................................. p. 7 p. 8 Irish traditional music and classical music Irische Musik und klassische Musik ..................... p. 9 Irish traditional music and sheet music ..................... p. 10 Irische Musik und Noten p. 11 ................................................. Styles in traditional music .................................................... p. 12 Stile in der traditionellen Musik ....................................... p. 13 II. The musicians and their music Die Musiker und ihre Musik Index of musicians ........................................................... p. 15 Index of sets ...................................................................... p. 18 Index of CDs / Literature .................................... p. 19 III. Sheet music Die Noten .......................................................................................... p. 20 4 Index of tunes Jigs Boys of the Lough 23 Battering Ram 36 Cup of Tea 32 Besom in Bloom 38 Devils of Dublin 25 Boys of the Town 29 Doon 46 Reels Drowsy Maggie 48 Fermoy Lasses 31 Goldfield Jig No. 1 43 Goldfield Jig No. 2 44 Joe Cooley's 52 Fred Finn's 47 Killavil 21 Jim Donoghue's 40 Lark in the Morning 53 Kiss the Maid behind the Barrel 55 Morning Lark 51 Kerry Man or Green Fields of Rossbeigh 34 Mountain Road 45 O'Dwyer's 30 Out on the Ocean 50 Rambling Pitchfork 22 Pigeon on the Gate 35 Scotchman Over the Border 41 Reel of Mullinavat 28 Tenpenny Bit 42 Shaskeen 39 Willie Coleman's 49 Tom Ward's Downfall 27 5 The collection All the tunes in this little collection are recorded on commonly available CDs although it might involve some work to track down some of the CDs. Thus, it is possible to study authentic versions of the tunes in the sheet music. All of these musicians have, to the best of my knowledge, their musical roots in Co. Sligo which belongs to the heartland of Irish flute playing. What is printed in most sheet music in circulation is usually only the basic form of 16 bars; here you'll find at least the full first round of 32 bars of every tune. Breath spaces, which are of course important for flute and whistle players, are indicated in their proper length. Detailed ornamentation is not included; here the player has to rely on his or her ears only. The tunes include standards as well as tunes that are very suited to the flute. The selection of the musicians is by no means representative but rather is derived from the selection of tunes. A good introduction to the rich musical tradition of Co. Sligo in its whole is published by Bernard Flaherty in his noteworthy book Trip to Sligo. Another very fine collection of tunes popular in South Sligo is published in print under the title The Mountain Road. A CD featuring most of the tunes in the book is also available, though sometimes in slightly different versions. Die Sammlung Sämtliche Tunes und Sets dieser Sammlung sind auf CDs aufgenommen. So ist es möglich, authentische Versionen der Tunes mit Hilfe von Noten und Aufnahmen zu lernen. Die Musiker haben meines Wissens ihre musikalischen Wurzeln alle in Sligo, das zum Kernland des irischen Flute-­‐Spiels gehört. Im Gegensatz zur 16-­‐taktigen Grundform eines Tunes, wie sie üblicherweise in Notensammlungen abgedruckt ist, wird in dieser Sammlung jeweils der komplette erste Durchgang eines Tunes wiedergegeben. Gelegentlich ist auch der zweite Durchgang aufgeschrieben, außerdem sind die Atempausen in ihrer genauen Länge angegeben. Nur detaillierte Verzierungen sind nicht in den Noten; dafür muss sich der Spieler auf seine Ohren verlassen. Unter den Tunes sind Standards und solche, die besonders gut auf der Flute liegen. Die Auswahl der Musiker ist nicht repräsentativ, sondern ergibt sich aus den Tunes. Eine gute Einführung in die reiche musikalische Tradition in Co. Sligo bietet Bernard Flahertys ausgezeichnetes Buch Trip to Sligo. Eine schöne Sammlung von Tunes aus South Sligo sind unter dem Titel The Mountain Road veröffentlicht (Buch und CD). 6 I. A brief introduction to Irish traditional music Kurzer Überblick zur irischen traditionellen Musik Irish music in general In the world of Irish music a distinction is sometimes made between folk and traditional. I remember an advertisement from a newspaper, published in Sligo town in 1999, announcing two sessions; the folk session was to take place in the Silver Swan Hotel, while the traditional session was to take place in the bar Sheela na Gig. Generalizing broadly it seems that folk may be summarized as the music which is often known to a broad public on the continent as Irish music: songs in English, among them rebel and drinking songs, and a few jigs and reels in between. According to the literature on the subject, this kind of music has its roots in the so-­‐called ballad boom. The ballad boom started sometime in the 1950s with the Clancy brothers as an early highlight. Today the Dubliners are probably the best known group to have emerged from the ballad boom. More recently, the Pogues, mixing folk, punk and rock'n'roll elements, have kept up this tradition. Irish traditional music, on the other hand, consists mainly of several thousand tunes; there is a body of reels, jigs, hornpipes, slip jigs, polkas, slides and other less well known tune types, as well as songs sung in Gaelic or English in the style called sean nós. Although mainly played in group settings, the music is, according to the great Sean O'Riada, essentially a solo art. This kind of traditional music dates back at the very least to the seventeenth century and is in parts considerably older. The history of this music has been full of ups and downs. At times, there were fears the music might become extinct; but it proved to be strong enough, not only to survive, but to blossom again. In this respect, the twenties in the U.S. were a very important time, where musicians such as Michael Coleman, James Morrison (fiddles) and John McKenna (flute) not only kept the music alive, but led it to new heights. Their recordings were sent back home to Ireland and it is widely agreed that they played an important, if not the important, role in establishing a new standard of playing. Nevertheless, traditional music was frowned on by many. This seems to have changed once and for all around 1960 when Sean O'Riada gathered some of the best musicians together, dressed them in suits and arranged stage performances in theatres. Just a couple of years later, the uilleann piper Paddy Moloney formed The Chieftains who were based on the core of O'Riada's group. The Chieftains went on to become one of the worldwide household names of traditional music. From the beginning there were overlaps between folk music and traditional music. Many musicians switched freely between the genres or combined them. Today the different attitudes from strictly traditional to progressive and fusion lead a peaceful coexistence. 7 Irische Musik im Allgemeinen In der irischen Musik wird manchmal zwischen folk und traditional unterschieden. So wurden 1999 in einer Zeitschrift in der Stadt Sligo zwei Sessions (zwanglose, offene Musikertreffen) angekündigt: die folk session fand im Silver Swan-­‐Hotel statt, während die traditionellen Musiker sich in der Bar Sheela na Gig versammelten. Folk umfasst, grob gesagt, das, was man auf dem Kontinent meistens als irische Musik wahrnimmt: Lieder auf Englisch, dabei nicht selten Rebellen-­‐ und Trinklieder, dazwischen einige flotte Jigs oder Reels. Diese Musik hat ihre Wurzeln im sogenannten Ballad Boom, der ungefähr Ende der 1950er Jahre einsetzte, in den Clancy Brothers einen ersten Höhepunkt fand und wahrscheinlich mit den Dubliners gekrönt wurde. Zuletzt haben die Pogues diese Tradition mit ihrem Folkpunk auf erfrischende Weise fortgeführt. Irische traditionelle Musik ist etwas anderes. Sie umfasst, grob gesagt, im Wesentlichen die mehreren tausend Tanzmelodien, die tunes, also Jigs, Reels, Hornpipes, Slip Jigs, Slides usw., sowie a capella gesungene Lieder im sogenannten sean nós-­‐Stil auf Gälisch oder Englisch. Obwohl die Tunes meistens in – festen oder spontan zusammengewürfelten -­‐ Gruppen gespielt werden, ist die Musik (nach dem großen Seán O'Riada) ihrem Wesen nach eigentlich eine Solokunst. Diese traditionelle Musik reicht in ihrer jetzigen Form mindestens zurück bis ins 17. Jahrhundert und ist in Teilen wesentlich älter. Ihre Geschichte ist ein Wechsel von Blüte und Niedergang. Um die Wende vom 19. zum 20. Jahrhundert befand sie sich in einer Phase des Niedergangs, nur um unter den irischen Emigranten in den USA zwischen den Weltkriegen zu einer neuen Blüte zu gelangen und dadurch wiederum die Musik in Irland selbst zu beeinflussen. Trotzdem galt sie bei nicht wenigen Iren lange Zeit als zweitklassige Musik. Das änderte sich wohl endgültig erst ab ca. 1960, als der Musiker und Ensembleleiter Seán O'Riada eine neu zusammengestellte Gruppe von erstklassigen traditionellen Musikern in Anzüge steckte und auf Konzertbühnen auftreten ließ. Aus dieser Gruppe entstanden ein paar Jahre später unter der Regie des Uilleann Pipers Paddy Moloney die Chieftains, wahrscheinlich bis heute eine der bekanntesten und erfolgreichsten irischen Gruppen weltweit. Zwischen Folk und traditioneller Musik gab und gibt es seit jeher Überschneidungen, mal mehr, mal weniger ausgesprägt. Heute existieren verschiedene Ansätze, von strikt traditionell bis hin zu Fusionmusik, friedlich nebeneinander. 8 Irish traditional music and classical music To avoid misunderstandings it is worth considering a few aspects regarding the difference between these two musical cultures. Imagine a classical violinist and a traditional fiddle player looking at the same instrument on a table in front of them. The violinist would call it a violin while the fiddler would call it a fiddle. Both terms represent two entirely different musical concepts. In classical music every note is played as it is written down; in traditional music represented in sheet music are only the very basic lines of the music. What is played in classical music is the well-­‐tempered F while in traditional music on the fiddle, occasionally the F of the harmonic scale may be played which is placed somewhere between the classical F and F sharp. A pure, brilliant tone is considered as a gaol in classical music while in traditional music a raw tone on the flute might be considered desirable in some cases. Here is not the place nor do I have the knowledge to explain the differences proper and in every detail. For our purpose it is enough to keep in mind that traditional music can't be judged by classical standards and, of course, the other way round. Irische Musik und klassische Musik Um Missverständnissen vorzubeugen, lohnt es sich, ein paar Aspekte zum Unterschied zwischen diesen beiden musikalischen Kulturen zu bedenken. Wenn ein Geiger und ein Fiddler beide dieselbe Geige vor ihnen auf dem Tisch anschauen, würde der Geiger es eine Violine, der Fiddler dagegen eine Fiddle nennen. Hinter diesen Bezeichnungen verbergen sich zwei grundverschiedene musikalische Konzepte. Zum Beispiel wird in der klassischen Musik – grob verallgemeinert -­‐ jede Note genau so gespielt, wie sie auf dem Blatt steht; in der traditionellen Musik steht nur die Basis der Musik in den Noten. In der klassischen Musik wird das wohltemperierte F gespielt, in der traditionellen Musik auf der Fiddle gelegentlich das F der Naturtonreihe, das irgendwo zwischen F und Fis liegt. In klassischer Musik gilt ein brillanter, klarer Ton als erstrebenswert -­‐ in der irischen Musik kann ein rauher Ton auf der Flute ein stilistisches Merkmal sein. Weder ist hier der Platz, noch habe ich das Wissen, um die Unterschiede in allen Details richtig zu erklären. Für unsere Zwecke reicht es zu bedenken, dass traditionelle Musik, um ihr gerecht zu werden, nicht mit klassischen Maßstäben gemessen werden kann – und umgekehrt. 9 Irish traditional music and sheet music A quick comparison between the usual sheet music of any tune and any traditional performance of it reveals a huge difference between the tune as it is written down and the tune as it is played. In Irish traditional music the role of sheet music is quite different to its role in classical music. Firstly, what is printed is only a very basic form of the tune. This basic form serves as a sort of guideline for the actual performance. All the tunes share a similar structure. By far the most tunes are structured in two parts. Nowadays they are often simply called part A and part B. The terms 'tune' for part A and 'turn' for part B are known, too, but as the term 'tune' has more than one meaning the use of the first option is free from potential misunderstanding. Each of these parts consists of eight bars which are to be repeated. The eight bars are sub-­‐divided into what might be called calls and answers. The first two bars form the first call, bars three and four the first response, bars five and six another call which might or might not be identical to the first one and bars seven and eight form another response. Only the basic eight bars of each A-­‐ and B-­‐part are printed in the common sheet music. But if played in a performance, the whole tune is repeated, most often twice. Not only then, but already during the repeat of a single part, the musician is expected to add variaton to the music. According to the legendary Breandán Breathnach and Seán O'Riada (among others), variation is one of the main features of traditional music. This can mean variation of the melody, the breath space, the phrasing, the embellishment of the notes etc. Little of this goes into the sheet music. What is shown in print is a mere musical skeleton on which the musician has to build the tune. He has, so to say, to put flesh on the bones. Usually every musician will build up a tune in his or her own way and many musicians will never play a tune exactly the same way twice. A tune is rarely played on its own. Tunes mostly run in sets of threes or twos, sometimes fours. The combination is not fixed but some prominent sets are more often played than others. A well known set of reels made popular by fiddler Michael Coleman is The Tarbolton/The Longford Collector/Sailor's Bonnet. The set of reels Colonel Roger's favourite/Happy Days of Youth is usually associated with flute player John McKenna. Reels are commonly paired with reels, jigs with jigs and so on. But there are exceptions. The first example that comes to my mind is the set Dever the Dancer (slip jig)/Connie the Soldier (jig), recorded by flute player John McKenna. Another difference to be discussed is the time value of the notes. On many recordings by the most respected musicians quavers are not played as quavers. Out of a group of four quavers in reels the first and the third one often will be played longer, the first one being played somewhat longer than the third one. The exact time value seems to vary from musician to musician. Generally, it might be said that in this cases the tunes are played with a sort of swing feeling. Out of a group of three quavers in jigs the first one is often played longest and the second one shortest. 10 Irische Musik und Noten Zwischen einem Tune, wie er üblicherweise in den Noten steht und wie er gespielt wird, besteht ein sehr großer Unterschied. In dieser Hinsicht unterscheidet sich die Rolle der Noten grundsätzlich von der klassischen Musik. Das übliche Notenbild eines Tunes sieht so aus: acht Takte Teil A (mit Wiederholungszeichen), acht Takte Teil B (mit Wiederholungszeichen). Gespielt wird ein Tune jedoch immer mehrmals hintereinander, meistens dreimal. Und nicht nur dabei, sondern schon bei den Wiederholungen von A-­‐ und B-­‐Teil wird variiert. Denn Variation von Rhythmus, Melodie, Atempausen (bei Flute und Whistle), Verzierungen der Noten usw. ist (nach z.B. Breandán Breathnach und Sean O'Riada) ein ganz wesentlicher Bestandteil der Musik. Für all dies ist im üblichen Notenbild kein Platz; gezeigt wird gewissermaßen nur das melodische Skelett, auf dem der Musiker den eigentlichen Tune aufbaut. Dabei sind die ersten beiden Takte eine Art musikalische Frage, die nächsten beiden Takte eine musikalische Antwort usw. Jeder Musiker wird ein und denselben Tune etwas anders aufbauen, und nicht wenige Musiker würden einen Tune nie zweimal auf genau die gleiche Weise spielen. Tunes werden meistens in Sets gespielt, einer Kombination von mehreren Tunes. Ein weit verbreiteter Aufbau eines Sets ist dieser: Dreimal Tune eins, dreimal Tunes zwei, dreimal Tune drei. Sehr oft werden auch Zweier-­‐Sets gespielt. Welche Tunes als Set gespielt werden ist dabei nicht festgelegt, aber manchmal werden bestimmte bekannte Kombinationen bevorzugt -­‐ zum Beispiel das Reel-­‐Set The Tarbolton/Longford Collector/Sailor's Bonnet von Michael Coleman oder das Set Colonel Roger's favorite/Happy Days of Youth von John McKenna. In der Regel werden Reels mit Reels, Jigs mit Jigs usw. kombiniert, aber gelegentlich wird davon abgewichen. Das erste Beispiel, das mir einfällt, ist das Slip Jig/Jig-­‐Set Dever the Dancer/Connie the Soldier, aufgenommen von John McKenna und Michael Gaffney. Ein ebenso wichtiger Unterschied zwischen gedruckter und gespielter Musik betrifft die Länge der einzelnen Noten. Auf vielen Aufnahmen sehr guter Musiker werden Achtelnoten nicht immer als gleich lange Achtelnoten gespielt. Im Reel werden in diesen Fällen von einer Gruppe aus vier Achtelnoten die erste und die dritte oft etwas länger gespielt -­‐ wobei die dritte nicht so lang wie die erste sein muss. Die genaue Länge variiert dabei von Musiker zu Musiker. Allgemein kann man vielleicht sagen, dass Reels in diesen Fällen mit einem Swing gespielt werden, auch wenn dieser Begriff in technischer Hinsicht vielleicht nicht akkurat ist. Für Jigs gilt entsprechend, dass die erste Achtelnote einer Dreiergruppe die längste und die zweite Achtelnote die kürzeste ist. Verzierungen werden in Noten, wenn überhaupt, üblicherweise nur in einer äußerst vereinfachten Form dargestellt. In den hier vorliegenden Noten wird ein Roll, wie üblich, durch eine Tilde angezeigt, ein auffälliger Glottal Stop durch einen Punkt. Ein Cut muss nicht unbeding mit der angezeigten Note gespielt werden, sie kann höher liegen. Diese und weitere flutespezifische Techniken sind detailliert in Büchern beschrieben. Einen guten Einstieg bietet z.B. das Buch An fheadóg mhór. Irish tratitional flute technique (auf Englisch) des sehr respektierten Flute-­‐Spielers Conál O'Grada. 11 Styles in traditional music It seems to be more difficult than one should think to talk about different styles in traditional music. Flute player and researcher, Niall Keegan, puts it so: »One man's east Galway style, was another's Clare Style was another woman's Sligo style«. According to Vallely, identifying certain regional styles nowadays is more difficult than it used to be, »as musicians modified their techniques through listening to records and the radio, and exchanged their repertoires of tunes at fleadhs and festivals around the country.« He adds that the influence of individual outstanding musicians seems to have grown more important over the time. Vallely names, among others, fiddlers such as Michael Coleman (1891-­‐1946), John Doherty († 1980), Martin Hayes (b. 1962) and Frankie Gavin (b. 1956). The most influential flute players up to date would be probably John McKenna (1880-­‐1947) and Matt Molloy (b. 1947). To illustrate the subject of different styles, Vallely uses four characteristic styles which also appear quite often in discussions among today's musicians. They are the Donegal style, the Sligo style, the Clare style and the Sliabh Luachra style. Although this categorization tends to be somewhat rough, it is nevertheless a first introduction into the world of different styles in Irish traditional music. Every one of the styles mentioned has some characteristic technical features which are, of course, different depending on the type of instrument in question. In addition some more general aspects are often mentioned. A tentative summary of the four styles could be: Donegal style: Fiddle is the typical instrument. The music tends to be rapid and is often played with an even rhythm. So-­‐called highlands and schottische are played in addition to jigs and reels due to a traditional strong link between Scotland and Northern Ireland. Names to be mentioned (among others) are Johnny Doherty († 1980), Paddy Glackin (b. 1954) and Tommy Peoples (b. 1948). Sligo style: Fiddle and flute are the typical instruments, the duet playing of fiddle and flute having quite a tradition. There are examples of fast as well as slow recordings in the Sligo style, but generally the music tends to be flamboyant and rather fast. Due to the influence of Sligo fiddlers Michael Coleman (1891-­‐1946), James Morrison (1893-­‐1947) and many others this style is likely to be the best known of them all. Some more recent names chosen at random include Fred Finn (1919-­‐1986), Paddy Ryan, Philip Duffy (fiddles, still living) and Peter Horan (1926 – 2011, flute). Clare style: Fiddle and concertina are the typical instruments. The tempo is comparably slowed down, melody is somewhat more in the focus than a distinct rhythm. Tunes are often played in other than the usual keys. Household names are Paddy Canny (1919-­‐2008, fiddle), Elizabeth Crotty (1885-­‐1960, concertina) and Martin Hayes (b. 1962, fiddle). 12 Sliabh Luachra style: Fiddle and box (button accordion) are the typical instruments. Sliabh Luachra (the rushy mountains) is a cultural defined area on both sides of the Cork-­‐Kerry border. Recordings show a distinct rhythm. Here polkas and slides are played more than anywhere else. Probably the best known musicians in this style are Padraig O'Keeffe, (1887-­‐1963, fiddle), Denis Murphy, (1910-­‐
1974, fiddle), Julia Clifford (1914-­‐1997, fiddle) and Johnny O'Leary (1923-­‐2004, box). Stile in der traditionellen Musik Es ist gar nicht so einfach, über verschiedene Stile zu sprechen. Wie der Flutespieler und Universitätsdozent Niall Keegan es bei einer Gelegenheit auf den Punkt bringt: »One man's east Galway style, was another's Clare Style was another woman's Sligo style«. Nach Vallely ist es heutzutage schwerer als früher, bestimmte regionale Stile zu bestimmen, »as musicians modified their techniques through listening to records and the radio, and exchanged their repertoires of tunes at fleadhs and festivals around the country.« Dazu kommt, dass der Einfluss einzelner herausragender Musiker offenbar mit der Zeit immer wichtiger geworden ist als der Einfluss eines bestimmten lokalen Stils; Vallely nennt hier, unter anderen, die Fiddler Michael Coleman (1891-­‐1946), John Doherty († 1980), Martin Hayes (b. 1962) und Frankie Gavin (b. 1956). Für die Flute wären dies vermutlich vor allem John McKenna (1880-­‐1947) und Matt Molloy (b. 1947). Vallely benutzt zur ersten Orientierung vier verschiedene, besonders markante stilistische Richtungen, von denen heutzutage auch oft in Gesprächen unter Musikern die Rede ist: Donegal-­‐
Stil, Sligo-­‐Stil, Clare-­‐Stil und Sliabh-­‐Luachra-­‐Stil. Auch wenn diese Einteilung sehr grob und äußerst unvollständig ist – eine allererste Orientierung zu dem Thema ist damit immerhin möglich. Jeder Stil hat ein paar charakteristische technische Merkmale, die sich allerdings je nach Instrument unterscheiden. Darüber hinaus werden meistens ein paar allgemeinere Kennzeichen genannt. Eine erste kurze Skizze dieser Stile könnte so aussehen: Donegal Style: Fiddle ist das charakteristische Instrument, die Musik wird tendenziell schnell und mit einem gleichmäßigen Rhythmus gespielt. Außer Reels, Jigs, Hornpipes usw. werden auch exotischere Tunes wie Highlands und Schottische gespielt. Einer der bekanntesten Vertreter dürfte, aus der älteren Generation, der Fiddler Johnny Doherty († 1980) sein, aus der jüngeren Generation: Tommy Peoples (b. 1948), Paddy Glackin (b. 1954). Sligo Style: Fiddle und Flute sind die charakteristischen Instrumente. Es gibt schnell und langsam gespielte Aufnahmen von Musik in diesem Stil, aber generell tendiert die Musik zu einem schnellen Tempo. Dieser flamboyante Stil ist sicherlich bis heute der bekannteste, weil die meisten einflussreichen Musiker, die die Musik zwischen den Weltkriegen in Amerika am Leben gehalten haben, aus Sligo kamen. Drei der bekanntesten Fiddler der alten, bereits verstorbenen Generation 13 sind Michael Coleman, James Morrison und Paddy Killoran. Aus den jüngeren Generationen sind es zu viele gute Musiker, die in diesem Stil ihre Wurzeln haben, als dass man hier eine gerechtfertigte Auswahl treffen könnte. Zufällig ausgewählte Namen sind Fred Finn (fiddle, 1919-­‐1986), Paddy Ryan und Philip Duffy (fiddles) und Peter Horan (1926-­‐ 2011, flute). Clare Style: Fiddle und Concertina sind die charakteristischen Instrumente. Tendenziell ist das Tempo vergleichsweise langsam, die Melodie steht mehr im Vordergrund als ein ausgeprägter Rhythmus. Typisch für Clare sind Tunes in anderen als den üblichen Tonarten. Musiker der älteren Generation sind z.B. Paddy Canny (1919-­‐2008, fiddle) und Elizabeth Crotty (1885-­‐1960, concertina); aus der jüngeren Generation ist Martin Hayes (b. 1962, fiddle) wohl der bekannteste Vertreter. Sliabh Luachra Style: Fiddle und box (Knopfakkordeon) sind die charakteristischen Instrumente. Aufnahmen zeigen einen ausgeprägten Rhythmus. Sliabh Luachra ist kein County, sondern eine kulturell definierte Gegend zu beiden Seiten der Grenze zwischen den Counties Cork und Kerry. Typisch für diesen Stil sind Polkas und Slides, die hier mehr als irgendwo anders gespielt werden. Die bekanntesten Vertreter dieses Stils dürften sein: Padraig O'Keeffe, (1887-­‐1963, fiddle), Denis Murphy, (1910-­‐1974, fiddle), Julia Clifford (1914-­‐1997, fiddle) und Johnny O'Leary (1923-­‐2004, box). Abschließend eine Anmerkung zum Tempo der Tunes. Generell hat z.B. die Musik in Donegal den Ruf, eher schnell gespielt zu werden, während die Musik in East Clare als langsam gilt. Eine allgemeine Orientierung findet sich bei Breandán Breathnach. Er gibt das Tempo für Jigs mit 127 für eine punktierte Viertelnote an, für Reels mit 224 für eine Viertelnote. Weiter schreibt er: To play the music at a quicker tempo detracts from the melody; to play it somewhat slower can do it no harm. It was customary for many of the older musicians when playing for themselves to adopt a slower pace than that demanded by the dancers. (Breandán Breathnach: Ceol rince na hÉireann. Zweiter Reprint der Ausgabe Dublin, 1974, S. ix, zititert nach Keegan, S. 88.) 14 II. The musicians and their tunes Die Musiker und ihre Tunes Index of musicians Daly, Gregory. Flute. Originally from an area in which the three counties of Donegal, Leitrim and Sligo converge, Gregory Daly has lived in South Sligo for a long time. He has played for many years with such outstanding musicians as Fred Finn and Peter Horan. Some of his music is recorded on the sampler CDs The Mountain Road and As we got them. The tune transcribed from his playing is the four-­‐part-­‐reel Kiss the Maid behind the Barrel. Healy, Dan. Flute. It is not easy to track down information on Dan Healy. Some of his music is recorded on the CD Whispering Strains from the Past. Tunes transcribed from his playing include the set of jigs The Morning Lark/Joe Cooley's/The Lark in the Morning (together with Ciarán O'Reilly on fiddle). Horan, Peter. (1926-­‐2011). Flute and fiddle. Born Killavil, Co. Sligo, an area well known for its music. He developed a unique style on the flute, the instrument he is mostly associated with. In 1959, he began playing in duet with fiddle player Fred Finn. Their musical partnership became legendary. Recordings include a LP, together with Fred Finn, which unfortunately is no longer available. During his later years, Peter Horan was probably one of the best known living musicians in the South Sligo tradition. It was then when he made two records with fiddler Gerry Harrington: Fortune Favours the Merry and The Merry Love to Play. Tunes transcribed from his playing include the sets The Boys of the Lough/Devils of Dublin (reels), Tom Ward's Downfall/Reel of Mullinavat (reels) and The Killavil/Rambling Pitchfork (Jigs). Loftus, Mick. Flute. He originally comes from Annaghmore, Bunniconlon, Co. Mayo. In 1966, he moved to Tubbercurry, a village some miles south of Sligo town which is renowned for its annual Summer School of Music. He has played with different Ceili Groups and is a regular contributor at local sessions. Some of his music is recorded on the sampler CDs The Mountain Road and As we got them. Tunes transcribed from his playing include the jigs Willie Coleman/Out on the Ocean, played together with Harry McGowan on flute. McDermott, Josie. (1925 – 1992). Flute, tin whistle, saxophone. Born at Coolmeen, Co. Sligo. His early musical influence were neighbours. Josie McDermott had a broad musical taste including Jazz, Classic and Country and is said to have played in around ten bands in his time. In 1962 he became 15 blind from eczema but continued to play music as actively as before. In 1964 he won All Ireland titles on whistle and alto sax respectively; in 1967 he won the lilting competition and in 1974 the flute. Josie McDermott continues to be a reference point for flute players. A selection of his music is recorded on a CD under the title Darby's Farewell. Tunes transcribed from his playing include the sets Fermoy Lasses/Cup of Tea (reels), Kerry Man or Green Fields of Rossbeigh/Pigeon on the Gate (reels) and The Boys of the Town/O'Dwyer's (jigs). McDonagh, James. Flute. James, whose father is the famous flute player Sonny McDonagh, comes from the townland of Rinnaruadh, Buninadden. This area where his own playing is rooted is very much part of the Sligo tradition. James McDonagh was ordained a priest in 1994. Tunes transcribed from his playing include the set of reels Fred Finn's/Drowsy Maggie, played together with Seamus Quinn on fiddle. McGowan, Harry. (1937 -­‐ ). Flute. Harry McGowan comes from Lavagh, a townland near the hill of Knocknashee, some miles from Tubbercurry. He learnt much of his music from a neighbour who played both flute and fiddle. Harry McGowan played in several Ceili bands and is a regular contributor at music sessions. Some of his music is recorded on several sampler CDs such as The Mountain Road, A musical Trip to Coleman Country and As we got them. Tunes transcribed from his playing include the jigs Willie Coleman/Out on the Ocean, played together with Mick Loftus on flute. Murphy, Jimmy. (1938 -­‐ ). Fiddle. Jimmy Murphy comes from the Meelick area near Swinford, Co. Mayo. He is said to have learnt most of his music from the famous fiddle player Fred Finn. Jimmy Murphy has toured the US in 1972 and '74 and has also recorded for radio and television. He plays in a duet with flute player James Murray and is a regular guest at sessions. Some of his music is recorded on the sampler CDs The Mountain Road and As we got them. Tunes transcribed from his playing include the sets of jigs Goldfield Jig No. 1/Goldfield Jig No. 2 and Scotchman over the Border/Tenpenny Bit, which he plays together with James Murray on flute. Murray, James. (1947 -­‐ ). Flute, tin whistle, fiddle. James Murray comes from the townland of Ogham, not far from Tubbercurry. Early influences were his uncle and local musicians. He has recorded for television and radio and plays flute and fiddle duet with Jimmy Murphy for many years. James Murray is regarded as one of the great exponents of Sligo flute playing; in an interview on www.firescribble.net/flute/hamilton.html flute maker and player Hammy Hamilton credits him with being among the noteworthy flute players of the Sligo/Roscommon area. Some of his music is recorded on the sampler CDs The Mountain Road and As we got them. Tunes transcribed from his playing include the sets of jigs Goldfield Jig No. 1/Goldfield Jig No. 2 and Scotchman over the Border/Tenpenny Bit as well as the set of reels The Mountain Road/The Doon, all of them played together with Jimmy Murphy on fiddle. 16 O'Donnell, Colm. Flute, whistle. A renowned Sligo flute player of the younger generation. Tunes transcribed from his playing include the set of reels The Shaskeen/Jim Donoghue's and the set of jigs The Battering Ram/The Besom in Bloom. O'Reilly, Ciarán. Fiddle. It is not easy to track down information on Ciarán O'Reilly. Some of his music is recorded on the CD Whispering Strains from the Past. Tunes transcribed from his playing include the set of jigs The Morning Lark/Joe Cooley's/The Lark in the Morning (together with Dan Healy on flute). Biographical sources The Companion to Irish Traditional Music. Edited by Fintan Vallely. Cork: Cork University Press, 1999. The Mountain Road. CD. A Compilation of tunes popular in South Sligo. In Association with the Coleman Heritage Centre. Booklet information, 1999. As we got them. CD. Traditional flute and fiddle music from County Sligo. Booklet information, 2005. 17 Index of sets Killavil/The Rambling Pitchfork (Peter Horan) Boys of the Lough/Devils of Dublin (Peter Horan) Tom Ward's Downfall/Reel of Mullinavat (Peter Horan) Boys of the Town/O'Dwyer's (Josie McDermott) Fermoy Lasses/Cup of Tea (Josie McDermott) Kerry Man or Green Fields of Rossbeigh/Pigeon on the Gate (Josie McDermott) Battering Ram/Besom in Bloom (Colm O'Donnell) Shaskeen/Jim Donoghue's (Colm O'Donnell) Scotchman Over the Border/Tenpenny Bit (James Murray, with Jimmy Murphy on fiddle) Goldfield Jig No. 1/Goldfield Jig No. 2 (James Murray, with Jimmy Murphy on fiddle) Mountain Road/The Doon (James Murray, with Jimmy Murphy on fiddle) Fred Finn's/Drowsy Maggie (James McDonagh, with Seamus Quinn on fiddle) Willie Coleman's/Out on the Ocean (Harry McGowan and Mick Loftus) Morning Lark/Joe Cooley's/Lark in the Morning (Dan Healy, with Ciarán O'Reilly on fiddle) Kiss the Maid behind the Barrel (Gregory Daly) 18 Index of CDs Sampler: The Sound of Coleman Country. Sampler: The Mountain Road. Sampler: As We Got Them. Sampler: The Coleman Archive Vol. 1 – The Living Tradition. Josie McDermott: Darby's Farewell. Colm O'Donnell: Farewell to Evening Dances. Dan Healy & Ciarán O'Reilly: Whispering strains from the past. Index of literature Breathnach, Breandán: Folk Music and Dances of Ireland. Revised edition 1977 (reprint). Cork, Dublin: Mercier, 1989. [1st edition 1971]. Briese, Karola: Instrumente und Instrumentalmusik in der irischen Folkore. Wissenschaftliche Hausarbeit zur Ersten Künstlerisch-­‐Wissenschaftlichen Staatsprüfung für das Amt des Lehrers. Berlin, 1993. Keegan, Niall: The parametres of style in Irish traditional music. In: Inbhear. Journal of Irish Music and Dance. Online publication. Vol. 1, Issue 1, 2010, S. 63-­‐95. Nadig, Daniel: Changing tradition. The Irish folk music revival 1950s-­‐1970s. Magisterarbeit. Potsdam, 2009. O'Neill, Francis: O'Neill's music of Ireland. Revised by Miles Krassen. New York: Oak, 1976. O'Riada, Seán: Our Musical Heritage. Edited by Thomas Kinsella. Mountrath: Dolmen Press, 1982. O'Súilleabháin, Mícheál: «Tourner» un air: L'improvisation dans la musique traditionelle irlandaise. In: Ethnomusicologie – 4, ed. by Bernard Lortat-­‐Jacob. Selaf, Paris, 1987, pp. 211-­‐220. O'Súilleabháin, Mícheál: The Creative Process in Irish Traditional Dance Music. Copy. Unknown source. Pp. 117-­‐130. Schwödiauer, Lisa Maria: Die Entwicklung irischer Musikgruppen im Spannungsfeld von Tradition und Innovation (60er-­‐80er Jahre). Diplomarbeit. Wien, 2005. Vallely, Fintan (ed): The Companion to Irish Traditional Music. Cork: University Press, 1999. The Mountain Road. CD. A Compilation of tunes popular in South Sligo. In Association with the Coleman Heritage Centre. Booklet information, 1999. As we got them. CD. Traditional flute and fiddle music from County Sligo. Booklet information, 2005. 19 III. Sheet music Die Noten 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 This jig has aleady been recorded by Sligo fiddler Paddy Killoran. In O'Neill's collection appears a version running quite different in the first bars. This version comes from the playing of James Murray (flute) who recorded Scotchman Over the Border/Tenpenny Bit together with Jimmy Murphy (fiddle) on the CD The Mountain Road. 42 43 44 45 46 47 Note the exceptionally long rest in part B of the second round. According to www.thesession.org Drowsy Maggie is the no. one all-­‐time favourite reel of a large international online community. The reel Drowsy Maggie appears in Francis O'Neill's collection in only a slightly different setting. It is a very well known tune and seems to be exceptionally popular among those who start to learn traditional music. This version stems from the playing of James McDonagh (flute) who recorded Fred Finn's/Drowsy Maggie together with fiddle player Seamus Quinn on the CD The Mountain Road. 48 49 50 I heard this tune often played at sessions in Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo, during my very first visit to Ireland back in 1999. Fiddler Oisín Mac Diarmada recorded this tune in a very similar version under the title of The Lark in the Morning (which is usually associated with a four-­‐part jig) on the CD ar an bhfidil. This version comes from the playing of flute player Dan Healy who recorded The Morning Lark/Joe Cooley's/The Lark in the Morning under the title of The Lark in the Morning Set. He and Ciarán O'Reilly (fiddle) play this set on the CD Whispering Strains from the Past. 51 52 53 This tune is among the top 30 all-­‐time favourites on thesession.org and a well known session tune. This version comes from the playing of flute player Dan Healy who recorded The Morning Lark/Joe Cooley's/The Lark in the Morning under the title of The Lark in the Morning Set. He and Ciarán O'Reilly (fiddle) play this set on the CD Whispering Strains from the Past. 54 According to the book The Mountain Road this four part reel is a great favourite among flute players. This version is recorded by Gregory Daly on the CD The Mountain Road. Kiss the maid behind the barrel also is recorded by flute players such as Peter Horan and Conal O'Grada, among others. There even is a recording reportedly made by Josie McDermott in existence; it is part of a remarkable collection sometimes called The Mysterious Tape which has been handed down from musician to musician. 55